Chapter 15 — Wrath of the Twin Tyrant

The battlefield had turned into a furnace of chaos. Flames from wrecked tanks painted the skyline, and the ground trembled with every monstrous step of the Twin Tyrant. Soldiers screamed, artillery roared, but nothing seemed enough. Then Kohaku moved.

He lowered his stance, katana glinting under the infernal light. His body shifted like that of a ronin long forgotten by time. With one explosive dash, he slid beneath the beast’s shadow and carved into its right leg—steel met flesh, spraying black ichor across broken pavement.

BANG! A flashbang detonated at its flank. The monster reared back, both heads screeching, blinded in fury. Kohaku used the window. In a reckless sliding dash, he jammed a nitrogen bomb into its exposed joint. Frost climbed its limb like white fire, and with one savage swing, Kohaku severed the frozen leg.

The Tyrant howled, an earthquake of rage. Its massive tail swung blindly, striking Kohaku like a battering ram. He was hurled across the street, armor shattering stone as he crashed.

“Kohaku!” Rika’s cry tore through the comms as she ran to him. Agnes’ synthetic voice trembled—not with fear, but urgency. “Vitals critical. Immediate assistance required.”

But Kohaku pushed himself up, blood running beneath his cracked armor. His eyes behind the visor glowed like embers.

Eva and Seo didn’t waste time. Inspired by his reckless tactics, they mirrored him. Eva, moving with cold precision, froze the beast’s thrashing tail. She strapped a potato grenade to the ice-bound mass. BOOM! The appendage burst into shards, the Tyrant staggering in pain.

Seo Hana charged with her unit, Aalto covering her with suppressive fire. She darted under its wings, planting C4 along its stretched membranes. “Now!” she shouted, leaping clear. Aalto triggered the charges. BOOM! Twin wings shredded, raining black tissue across the ruins.

The Tyrant collapsed, but it still wasn’t finished. Both heads screamed in fury, eyes blazing like dying stars.

Kohaku staggered toward a ruined helicopter. Without hesitation, he tore the rotary Gatling free from its frame. Metal screamed as he lifted the impossible weight. He braced it against his hip, aimed at the beast, and let it roar.

BRRRRRRT! Streams of blazing rounds carved into the Tyrant’s armored chest. Each shot tore chunks of flesh away, forcing the monster backward, staggering under the fury of man-made thunder.

The soldiers who survived froze, watching in disbelief.

“He’s… he’s not human.” one whispered.

Kohaku didn’t stop. He hefted the ruined helicopter itself, veins straining under the impossible weight, and hurled it at the beast. Metal and fire collided against scaled hide.

“Eva! Seo! Now—use the weapon I gave you!” His voice rumbled like a war drum through the comms.

Eva and Seo raised the prototype bazookas Kohaku had crafted. They locked eyes with him, nodded, and fired.

BOOOOOOM!

Twin explosions engulfed the Tyrant, tearing through both heads in a blaze of light and fire. The monster staggered once, shrieked a final time, and collapsed into the ruins of Seoul. Its body twitched, then stilled.

Silence. Then the air shimmered as thousands of trapped souls rose like fireflies, drifting into the heavens. A soft chorus of voices whispered thanks before dissolving into the light.

The battlefield, once drowned in screams, now echoed with prayer. Survivors clutched their chests, tears streaking through dirt and soot. The war horns of despair gave way to the cries of victory.

At the command center, officers erupted in cheers. Around the ruined streets, soldiers collapsed in relief. Eva allowed herself a small smile, her golden eyes never leaving Kohaku.

Rika, however, noticed something else—his visor. A jagged crack ran across it, revealing just a sliver of his face: pale skin, a scar etched along his cheek, and an eye glowing like a predator’s. She caught her breath but said nothing.

For the first time, Seoul was free.